London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Merton and Morden 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Merton & Morden]
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TABLE XXVI. DIPHTHERIA—INCIDENCE BY AGE GROUPS.
| AGE GROUPS | Total all Ages | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year | 1-2 years | 2-3 years | 3-4 years | 4-5 years | 5-10 years | 10-15 years | 15-25 years | 25-35 years | | 35-45 years | Over 45 years | ||
| Cases | – | – | – | – | 1 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 28 | |
It is interesting to note that no child under the age of
four years contracted this infection during the year.
Seventy-five per cent, of the cases were children of school-age.
Ten thousand units of anti-toxin were issued to practitioners
and the number of swabs examined totalled 626.
Diphtheria Immunisation. The facilities for Diphtheria
Immunisation were continued as before. Fewer parents took
advantage of this service than in the previous year. This is
much to be regretted but is, from experience, to be expected
after a few years of low incidence.
The number of people who die of diphtheria in this
country exceeds the maternal deaths on which so much attention
is focussed, yet we have in immunisation a safe and cheap
remedy which can eliminate diphtheria as a cause of death
and reduce the morbidity therefrom to negligible proportions.
Some 3,000 deaths could be saved annually in England and
Wales if immunisation were universally practised.
The number of persons immunised during the year at the
clinics, in schools and by private practitioners under the
scheme is shown in the following tables:—
65